13 October 2026 · Reporting checked against dated, named sources below.
A deadline dispute reaches the highest court
The Constitutional Court reserved judgment on Monday, 12 October 2026, in the ANC’s bid to have 181 councillor candidates included in the 4 November local government elections. The court indicated that it would deliver its decision urgently because the election timetable is already advancing.
The dispute began when the Electoral Commission of South Africa excluded candidate lists that were not finalised before the nomination deadline. The ANC maintains that its administrators entered the relevant information and documents into the commission’s electronic system, but could not complete the final submission step in time.
The Electoral Court previously rejected the party’s challenge. The ANC then asked the Constitutional Court to consider the legal meaning of a valid electronic submission.
A button, a deadline and the rules for everyone
The ANC’s legal team argued that the statutory requirements had been met because the information was already in the IEC’s possession. The party disputes the view that clicking the system’s “Submit as Final” button is, by itself, the decisive legal requirement.
The IEC maintains that the nomination process required the final step to be completed before the deadline and that its system was functioning. The Democratic Alliance, which also participated in the case, argued that allowing the ANC’s candidates onto ballots could create an unequal result for other parties and candidates who missed the same requirement.
According to SABC News, counsel for the DA told the court that thousands of other candidates were potentially affected by the same issue. That raises a broader question about consistent administration, not simply the fortunes of one party.
What the ruling could change
A decision for the ANC could require the IEC to reconsider excluded names and the treatment of similarly situated parties. A decision against it would leave the Electoral Court’s ruling in place. Neither outcome had been announced at the time this report was prepared.
The legal question is distinct from any prediction about election results. Voters, parties and election administrators now await an urgent judgment that will clarify how nomination rules apply before the 4 November poll.
